The Would Have Been
by funkymoleperson
Summary: Amidst an ancient and powerful plot by some unknown evil, a life is caught in the balance. Now a pawn, in a great and terrible game of death and deception, Presea struggles against the darkness...and herself. PreseaLloyd fic.
1. Still Trapped In This Darkness

**Ok, this is going to be a tad complicated, but I've always wanted to write a sort of "parallel universe" story, with the same character during the same time and place, but are different "would have beens", so their lives are not exactly the same. This one features one of my favorite characters, Presea, whose nature fits perfectly for her role in this story. There are only two universes in this story, so it shouldn't get _too_ complicated…I hope…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia.**

**Warnings: Spoilers!**

* * *

Still Trapped In This Darkness

Cold. After the initial shock of being splashed by Lloyd, Presea felt a wave of cold wash over her and the sensation of water running down her arms and seeping through her clothing. With the taste of salt on her lips and the feel of a healthy ocean breeze running through her hair, the pink haired ax-wielder leaned out of the washtub to dip her hand in the water. Then, with and expert flick, she sent a shower of little drops of water right into Lloyd's eyes, catching him off guard.

"Ouch!" he yelped, momentarily blinded. Presea took advantage of her paddling partner's moment of weakness to reach over and snatch the slab of wood he had been carving on.

"Now I wonder what Lloyd Irving could possibly have been carving _all morning_. Must be something important, mmm?" Presea teased as Lloyd made a wild scramble to grab it back from her. Then, with an all-knowing groan, the young brown-haired swordsman sat down, throwing his hands up in defeat. Presea could get anything she wanted from him with those smiles. She was so lighthearted and happy these days…and he would do anything to keep it that way.

Presea eyed the carving, her forehead scrunched up in thought. She seemed puzzled by it, turning it one way, then the other, as if trying to figure out what was carved there. Lloyd laughed and leaned over to adjust it so that it was right side up. Presea's eyes cleared.

"Oh...it's Sheena, isn't it? I'd recognize that face anywhere…" her voice was as steady as she could make it, but Lloyd noticed a change in Presea's tone.

"Presea, what is it? Something has been bothering you for quite some time now…" he said gently, looking more concerned than he should be, in Presea's opinion. If he knew the real reasons behind her upset, he wouldn't be this way…

Flashback – 

_"Wow, Presea, you and Lloyd really spiffed this place up for the Christmas party!" said Genis wonderingly, walking over to Presea's seat beside the great pine tree that had been brought in for decorating. He smiled warmly at her, his cheeks tinged a light pink. Nearby a fire crackled in the fireplace, pooling them in its heat, so Presea did not think overmuch of Genis's complexion. _

_The sage siblings had been the first to arrive, Raine dragging Linar in her wake. It was obvious who was the head of their relationship. They were almost amusing sometimes…other times their odd behavior puzzled Presea. Raine was giggling and nudging Linar a great deal, obviously telling Lloyd about one of their latest escapades in the Asgard Ruin. _

_"Is this how all couples act?" mused Presea, ignoring Genis's compliment, but not on purpose. She had been zoning out a great deal lately. It was because of these strange headaches she'd been having, but Lloyd had brushed them off as trivial occurrences. Dirk had given her some hot cocoa and advised her to get some rest, but she had a suspicion that it wasn't quite so simple. But still, it was good to feel cared for._

_After the two worlds had been reunited, and the different heroes had all gone their separate ways, Presea had had nowhere to live. Ozette was in ashes…and she had no remaining family. Regal had offered to find her housing arrangements, but she had felt more comfortable accepting Lloyd's offer of residence. Iselia reminded her so much of her old home…and then there was Lloyd._

_Lloyd, who had offered her the chance to grow up, to never be alone again, to always have a friend by her side who cared, that was what most drew her there. Presea couldn't quite explain it, but whenever she looked at Raine and Linar, and then thought of herself and Lloyd, her heart beat more rapidly than normal. Was this what it was like to like someone? Being around Lloyd made her feel safer and happier than she had in a long time._

_Genis was blushing in all sincerity now, "I…well, it all depends on the people…Pr…Presea. I guess each couple acts differently. I mean…if you wanted to act that way you could, but it's whatever you feel the best with. When you find someone you like, I doubt it matters…" He was cut off by the dramatic arrival of Zelos, followed closely by Regal, and then Sheena and Colette, arm in arm, and singing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" with much gusto. _

_"Greetings, bumpkins, it is I, the great Zelos Wilder, here to officially start the party!" Zelos announced, barging through the door with an armful of mistletoe, "Now, if you'll let me hang a few of these…" Mercifully, Sheena was able to hit Zelos over the head before he initiated his plan._

_"Presea! Hey, it's so great to see you again!" called Colette, rushing over to give Presea a hug, and then Genis, and onto Raine. She had just come back from a trip to Mizuho and had stayed with Sheena for a few weeks, and was delighted to reacquaint with her friends. Privately, Presea had enjoyed her time alone with Lloyd while Colette was gone, but she was still happy to see the bubbly blonde haired girl. Generally, the room quieted down, and Raine prepared to address everyone._

_"I have an announcement to make," she began, linking arms with Linar, her face practically glowing. Genis snorted into his punch, knowing what was coming._

_"Linar and I have dug up some very exciting new findings while exploring the tunnels in the sides of the mountain at Asgard!" she shrieked happily and threw her arms around Linar, kissing him on the cheek. Genis choked on his punch and Linar looked bewildered._

_"But I thought…" Genis began, exchanging glances with the blue haired man at Raine's side. Linar shrugged helplessly. Raine eyed their exchange with a raised eyebrow, then sighed, slightly exasperated. _

_"Oh, and we're getting married," she added as an afterthought, as though to appease the two. Linar shrunk down, trying to look as small as possible. Genis just rolled his eyes as the whole room roared their approval._

_"Aww…that is so cute!" Colette squealed. Lloyd gave Linar the thumbs up sign, _

_"I'm sorry things didn't work out, Raine," Zelos casually interceded, but didn't get much farther. Someone had tactfully thrown a kendama at his head to shut him up. Presea shook her head. If not for Lloyd, she would have given up on the human race a long time ago…_

_Then food was served, and everyone was relaxed, standing around, talking and eating. Presea stood up, wanting to go congratulate Raine personally, but she would never make it that far. Time is a funny thing. In all the important moments in stories, time slows down for the character, but for Presea it speeded up. The scene that unraveled came through in a blur. _

_It was later, and the room was rather warm and stuffy. Certain people had had too much to drink…Presea swore that when she was physically of drinking age (for in reality she was much older than she appeared) she would not have such a high alcohol intake…if any at all._

_Lloyd was leaning on the railing of the stairway, talking to Sheena. She was looking dreamily up at the ceiling, and then suddenly interrupted him, pointing towards a lone sprig of mistletoe that Zelos had managed to sneak up when no one was looking. Lloyd did not seem to understand until Sheena leaned towards him and kissed him. When she pulled away, Lloyd was blushing furiously. Presea's mind whirled. Time was moving way to fast for her to fully comprehend everything, as she stood frozen, trying to tear her eyes away from the unwanted sight. Sheena had kissed Lloyd and Lloyd was blushing. Zelos whooped. Genis laughed. _

_As her senses returned to her, Presea tried to make an unnoticed exit from the house. She needed to get outside, away, away from this nightmare…but she couldn't. Genis had somehow popped up in front of her, grinning exuberantly. Merriment began to fade from his eyes when he saw her expression._

_"Presea, are you ok?" he asked, reaching out to her. Presea shook her friend off a little more vigorously than she had intended. Genis looked shocked and hurt, making her instantly feel guilty._

_"I…I'm sorry, I need some fresh air…" Presea replied softly, brushing past him and out, into the night. She would just go over and sit on the bench for a little bit, regain her senses…but a wave of dizziness swept over and suddenly the work grew dark and she was falling, falling…_

_"Presea…" A voice pierced through the darkness, but it seemed very, very far away…had Genis followed her outside?_

"Presea!" the voice was louder now, only it wasn't Genis, it was… Presea blinked once. Twice.

"Lloyd?" she asked, trying to sit up. He was standing over her looking worried. Then she realized that she was not sitting in the washtub as she had been, but rather lying in the sand. Her headache was receding now, and she could think more clearly. Lloyd breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"I was so afraid about you there, you totally spaced out and then sort of...convulsed, and then you collapsed…You didn't have another one of your headaches, did you?" Lloyd asked, looking at her with such concern that Presea could not bear to look him in the eyes. They were slightly red, she noticed, but then, she had flicked seawater into them earlier…

"Yes…" Presea responded, slowly bringing herself into a sitting position, rubbing the back of her head. Lloyd's eyes narrowed.

"You look as if you are used to this. They haven't been happening more often lately, have they?" he asked, his voice now slightly demanding, and not quite as dripping with fear as it had been.

"I…no…I mean…" Presea stumbled. Lloyd reached out and tilted her head up so that she was forced to look at him.

"You're lying, it's getting worse! And you can't even talk to me about it, can you? Damnit, when did all this happen? Just months ago it was fine, and now, when you are hurt, you're hiding it from me? I don't understand it!" he said, with a touch of anger and frustration in his voice. Presea tried to look away, but Lloyd held her chin firm, "Presea, I thought we were friends…I thought we could trust each other with things like this… I want to help you."

Presea opened her mouth and closed it, unable to speak. She hadn't been able to put her full trust in anyone since her experience with the Cruxis Crystal, though she'd wanted desperately to. Especially Lloyd. But Presea was afraid to bare her soul to anyone. She feared that she would only be hurt more than she had been.

_I am afraid to love…_

Even though it was love she needed the most right now.

* * *

Cold. After the initial shock of being knocked into the sewage by Genis, Presea felt a wave of nausea wash over her and the sensation of the sloppy remainders of someone's breakfast running down her arms and seeping into her clothing. With the taste of rotten fruit on her lips and the squelch of her own footsteps out of the muck ringing in her ears, the pink haired ax-wielder leaned down to dip her head in the semi-solid, semi-liquid stuff. Then, with and expert flick, she sent bits of the waste and trash right into Genis's eyes, catching him off guard.

But Genis wasn't there. Presea was alone in the sewers of Meltokio again. Maybe she had imagined him there in the first place. Or maybe it was just the rats playing tricks on her. Though, there were other dark souls down here under the earth that were more likely to be toying with Presea this way. She could hear their voices at night when she curled up in her little corner and tried her best to sleep, though when she slept, the nightmares came. The nightmares of the day Genis died… No, of when she murdered him.

Flashback – 

_"Genis! No! Wait! Don't die!" Lloyd yelled, frantically scrambling down the side of the hill to where his friend lay. In the background, someone was screaming. Colette… Presea couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't breathe._

_"I killed him, I killed him…" she kept muttering over and over. "I just pushed him off and I killed him…" Suddenly a hand crashed down on Presea's shoulder, spinning her to face her. Raine, half-hysterical, was screaming, almost senselessly._

_"You killed him! You killed my brother! You traitor!" the half elven teacher lunged at Presea, but was restrained by a shocked looking Sheena._

_"No Raine, don't she doesn't realize what she's done, she didn't mean to, please don't do something you'll regret, Raine…" Sheena clung to her former companion with all her remaining strength, her eyes red and puffy, her face wet with tears. Colette flew down after Lloyd, but it was already too late. Genis was already dead._

Presea trudged to higher ground where it wasn't so dirty and tried to wipe the worst of the grime off her body. Her hair was dark and matted, her body small and weak from lack of nutrition…but it was her punishment. Turning to the bones of a dead rate beside her, Presea began to talk, in a cracked, half-crazy voice.

"You offered me a place in your home, Lloyd, but I couldn't bear it there. It was too much like Ozette…too much like my past. All the ill I've done…I couldn't bear to taint your life with it. And yet, in the end I did, didn't I? The voices were much softer then, but I knew well enough that you would abandon me just like everyone else. Yes, I killed Genis. I murdered your best friend. I would have killed everyone one by one, so that they could never hurt me again, the voices told me so, and I knew if I could manage it then the headaches would stop. But when you came to me, for one moment, I felt a different pain. Guilt. I almost regretted killing one who you held dear and fled. I will never pay for my sins, so now I remain here in the darkness. I am Presea, one of the lost ones."

The bones did not answer, for sure, but Presea seemed to have heard something inaudible, and responded. She reached out a hand and gently stroked the bones, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

_I was afraid to love._

Even though it was love she had needed the most back then.

* * *

**No, the second half is not a look into the future. These are separate existences, going on simultaneously. I don't really no how I got this idea. The second Presea may seem out of character, but she is delusional and has been living in the sewers for months, having been haunted by voices for even longer. This is more of a setup to the story – the next chapters will delve more into what is actually going on. –shifty eyes- So, let me know what you think. Reviews are nice. Flames cook my dinner. Constructive criticism is always welcome. **


	2. Knockout

**Will the two Preseas meet? Currently, they are in their separate dimensions, but I won't say for how long. As for Presea number two's current mental state…did she actually kill Genis? Only this chapter will tell. But you'll notice that the two namesakes have the same symptoms. –shifty eyes- Is there a big underlying plot? Am I paranoid? Not even I know…**

* * *

Knockout

Presea walked home with Lloyd in silence. She couldn't find the right words even to make awkward conversation, and it would be awkward for the most part anyway. He was looking saddened at her lack of faith in him, and on the inside the young ax-wielding woman wondered if she really shouldn't have shown her heart to him.

Sheena's face swam into her vision and Presea shook away the thoughts. Lloyd's heart was Sheena's, why should Presea give him hers? But she couldn't help the feeling of comfort she had around him, the feeling of ease, the darkness that receded whenever she was in his presence.

_You are my medicine to this illness that has befallen me…_

But it didn't look like the medicine was for sale.

* * *

Presea awoke to find that the rats had invaded her meager food collection again.

"Damn rats," she muttered, walking slightly hunched over, her eyes darting in every direction rapidly. Such hollow eyes they were now. Why, the first time she had smiled in twelve years, when Colette had been rescued, Presea's eyes had lit up like shining stars, but now they were dull and lifeless.

Suddenly a light broke through the darkness. Fire! Presea tensed up, sniffing the air for smoke, as an indication of which way to run. She edged cautiously towards the sewage. Running water was a good defense against fire, but the sewage looked potentially flammable. Still, she couldn't quite pinpoint it. Wait, there it was. A small flame, a torch perhaps. Presea squinted into the brightness. There was someone _there_.

"Who is it?" the young woman's voice snapped, untrusting, half-hostile.

The figure shifted. _Genis._

"No! You're dead! Stop haunting me!" Presea shrieked and started to run in the opposite direction, but slipped in a puddle and crashed downwards onto the cold, unrelenting, stone floor. Before the headache started and waves of blackness swam through her vision, she felt a sharp pain and heard a crack like a gunshot. Had she broken her leg…?

Hours later, Presea was laid carefully on a bed in an old, abandoned house in Ozette, a tall figure looming over her. She had still not awoken. The figure shifted into the light, revealing a pale, worried looking half-elven woman, her blue hair tied up into a knot, a pair of spectacles balanced on the tip of her nose.

"Where did you find her? How did she get like this? She doesn't even look like Presea anymore…" the woman asked anxiously, turning to look at the figure crouched next to her, his hand placed on Presea's arm as he concentrated on his healing spell.

"I found her in the Meltokio sewers. She ran when she saw me, muttering incoherently, and then stumbled and hurt her leg, then fainted. Presea acted too much like a wild beast to have come there by accident. I think she's been _living _here," came the gruff response.

"The sewers? Kratos, how the heck did she end up there? And what were you doing anyway?" the woman's voice rose, looking angry for a moment, then softening her tone, "Though, it's a good thing you were there or…"

"Or she might have died eventually. I know. I've been trying to track her mana signature for some time now. Shortly after leaving with Derris Kharlan, the core system started malfunctioning. Some strange waves were emitting from the machinery and I had to return here to see if I could correct it. Oddly enough, the waves were coming from two different points. The sewer…and the Temple of Darkness. I had a hunch that whatever this devilry is, the temple is the center of it, but the sewers puzzled me. Presea had gotten herself into something that I do not like the look of. You'll need to fetch Lloyd later, once we've straightened this out. Why did Yuan choose a time like this to go missing?" Kratos explained, then suddenly stood straight up, alarmed. "Kate, her Cruxis Crystal!"

Kate's eyes widened in shock, "No! That's not possible! In all my studies, I…"

Kratos shoved her roughly aside, bending over Presea to reach for her Cruxis Crystal, which had just turned black. Waves of heat seamed to be coming from it, and Presea had started to sweat, writhing about and making strangled cries. But at the crystal pulsated, the red-haired seraphim was repulsed by the energy. The image of Presea's body began to shimmer and dim in a void of blackness.

"No!" Kratos cried, reaching out towards the senseless ax-woman. If anything happened to her, Lloyd would be devastated. Kratos had never been a good father, but he understood what love commanded, and Lloyd loved Presea. The poor boy looked at her just as Kratos had at Anna, so long ago…

But Presea was already gone. Kratos punched to wall angrily, only to be suddenly grabbed by Kate.

"We have to get help! You can fly, right? Go to Lloyd! I'll get to Sybak as fast as I can –it's nearest, and assemble a team to head off the Temple. Presea will be ok, as long as we hurry, right?" she babbled, her voice strained. Kratos gave her a pained look and then walked out the door with out saying anything more. By the time Kate had reached Sybak, he was already in the dining room of the Irving home, telling everything to a terribly worried Lloyd, Colette, and Genis.

* * *

It was evening when Presea fainted. She had eaten her dinner in silence and was just rising to leave the table when Lloyd reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Presea, I'm sorry if I've done anything to hurt you, I…" his voice suddenly caught in alarm as Presea's eyes rolled back and she crumpled to the floor, "PRESEA! PRESEA! PRESEAAAAA!"

"Her Cruxis Crystal has turned black, I've never seen anything like it…" muttered Dirk, leaning over, "This isn't a good sign." The door took the opportunity to bang open, bringing a gust of cold air inside. Framed in the doorway was a hooded figure, who swept into the room.

"Remove that!" the figure cried out in alarm, but Presea had already started to fade as the figure dove forward, grasping for the crystal on her neck. Reflexively, Lloyd stuck out one arm, catching the stranger in the stomach to protect Presea, who was almost gone.

"You fool!" cried the man, his cape sliding off as he fought to save her, his normally well-kept blue hair flying out of his ponytail. Lloyd let go in shock, letting the half elf tumble to the floor in the space where Presea had lain.

"Yuan!" was all the swordsman could say before the man sprang back to his feet, fury in his eyes.

"I was too late…damnit…" Yuan cursed, running one hand through his hair, frustrated. "After the summon spirits started acting strangely, I began to track around for the tainted signature, but I couldn't find it in time!" Lloyd was sitting in his chair, shaking, pale-faced.

"What's happened to Presea?" he half-asked, half-demanded, fear rising in his voice. Yuan looked at him with contempt.

"How long has she had these symptoms?" Yuan shot back, ignoring the question.

"A month maybe…well, the headaches, what is going on? I thought she just had allergies. Yuan, tell me what's happened to her!" Lloyd's eyes lit up, angry and frustrated to match the other man's. Yuan blanched as he recognized that look, but he quickly recovered. After all, it had been many a millennia since he himself had felt such a way.

"Some strange things have been happening lately, most of which you wouldn't understand. There is a dark presence that I could not perceive before. It needed a soul, for what I do not know. And it found it's prey in Presea," came the short reply.

"How do I save her?" Lloyd yelled, angry at the lack of answers he was getting. Grabbing Yuan by the collar, he shook the older man, full fury in his eyes. Yuan's own irises widened. Lloyd was dead serious.

"I don't know, ok?" Yuan retorted, pulling away, "I don't know what's happened to her. I have to try and relocate her mana signature. It'll take time."

* * *

"They will be arriving shortly, Master, shall I go out and greet them?" a deep woman's voice echoed through the cave as she fiddled with some dials on the monitor.

"No, Lady _Pronyma_, I shall be the one to welcome them. After all, they - _she_ will be mine soon enough," came a cold voice from the darkness, followed by harsh laughter. Pronyma frowned at the screen in front of her.

"Are you sure that is wise, Lord? You are not up to your full strength yet," she replied almost absently. The laughter stopped immediately.

"I will be fine," the voice was sharp, angry now, "Besides, I'm especially interested as to what the would-have-been will say."

Pronyma swallowed and nodded, "A question, if you please, Master?"

Something shifted in the shadows, "Make it quick, my guests are almost here."

"Which one is the real Presea?" she asked hesitantly.

"Two separate dimensions, _Pronyma_. They are both 'real' and they are both 'would-have-beens'. It is like the splitting of the worlds, only the splitting of the realities is much more complicated," the voice spat, with a slight irritated hiss. Pronyma had more that she wished to ask, but the Dark Lord was not in a tolerant mood right now, so she bit her tongue, listening for his footsteps to signal his leaving, but never hearing them.

_"It is the Temple of Darkness, our center, that the two dimensions cross. And thus there will be not one girl arriving, but two."_

* * *

When consciousness returned, Presea had a moment of disorientation, but then stopped wondering where she was at the return of the pain in her right leg. She was bemused to find that someone had wrapped bandages around it, but the pain then pushed away her other thoughts.

"Lloyd!" Presea jerked awake, breathing rapidly, unable to still her rapidly beating heart. He had reached out to her, and then suddenly she was falling… Where was she, anyway? And who was that strange girl lying a few feet away? The girl looked to be about her age, with long, untamed greenish brown hair and a filthy purple outfit on. Just like her own… Presea frowned. The other girl was hurt…

"Well, I see you two ladies are awake. Might as well make acquaintances now, mmm?" a voice snaked its way out of the shadows. Presea moved protectively in front of the injured girl, feeling around from her ax, only to discover that it was missing.

"Who is there?" she asked, masking her fear and trying to look confident at the same time. The girl at Presea's feet blinked a couple times then gasped, and sat straight up just as a figure emerged into both of their views.

"Zelos?" the second girl cried, "But you died! We fought you in the tower…you died!" Presea jumped in alarm.

"You're only half right, my little rosebud," the man sneered, "I _am_ Zelos, but I am not _Zelos_. I am not the man you knew."

Presea was backing away in fear, "First Genis, now you! Stop! Go away! Leave me in peace!"

Presea looked from the Zelos-like man to the injured version of herself and her head began to spin. What was happening?

"LLOYD! HELP M-"

Silence.

* * *

**I won't respond directly to the reviews this time, but as for answering the general questions, _yes_ this is the Presea/Lloyd fic I was planning. I didn't mean for it to be quite so dark though. Ah well, life goes on. The last part _was_ confusing, but after this it will get less scrambled. Oh the consequences of having two Presea's in one scene! Heehee. Funny, I liked Presea #1 better in the first chapter, but in this chapter I definitely like Presea #2 better. –eyebrow twitch- Heh, well, go me for super updating!**


	3. Shattered

**Oooh! Zelos is evil? And is Pronyma actually Pronyma? As you should have figured out by now, neither of the Genises are dead, so what's up with Presea #2? Hmmm…**

* * *

Shattered

Back in the hidden cave, Zelos was pacing back and forth impatiently, his long, deep purple robe swirling in his wake. The former chosen's bright red hair was tied back in an expert ponytail, but as usual, he couldn't quite tame it.

"Lady _Pronyma_, is she…are they, fitted yet? My patience runs thin," he called out into the next room, then paused to listen. A faint rustle, a whisper, then…

"Yes, _she_, is, Lord. But…is it right that there is only one of her? How did it happen?" came the reply as Pronyma walked through the cave opening, a small figure following her. Zelos snapped his fingers irritably. Maybe he should have chosen a more intelligent servant than Pronyma to bring back, but he hadn't the time…then…

"You are very…curious…Lady _Pronyma_. A good servant asks questions only when she has been given leave to, understood? But…I'll tell you this: dimensions are welding, as I told you in the time in which we were arranging my experiment. I will rule all the dimensions, for they will all be one dimension…" Pronyma bowed hastily, mumbling apologies, but Zelos ignored them.

"I will see her now," he said coldly, but his eyes softened a fraction when Pronyma moved to the side to reveal Presea.

She was perfect. The young woman's purple attire was replaced with an outfit of the same make, but black, and had been given a magenta robe to wear over it, swirling at her feet. Her hair was down from its pigtails and was smoothed – how _that_ was done he'd never know. She was short, yes, but her presence was felt strongly. Or rather, her new _lack_ of presence. The Cruxis Crystal gleamed black at her throat, and her eyes were now mirroring it; dark, cold, empty. Like Pronyma, she was his servant now, but even more so because of his wondrous creation. Presea was his _puppet_ now.

"Lady Presea," he said gently, giving a half sort of bow, "So good to see you looking in better health." Presea slowly lifted her head to look at him.

"Yes, my leg is much better, thank you," she replied softly, but the monotone rang as clear as a bell to Zelos's ears. He smiled.

"Fetch her some food, Pronyma, and then show her to her chambers. I have work to do."

* * *

"Have you located her yet?" Lloyd asked anxiously, peering over Yuan's shoulder. Yuan groaned. This was the fifth time in ten minutes Lloyd had asked.

"_No,_ I _haven't_, Lloyd, now _stop asking_! I'll _tell you_ when I _find her_!" he spat out angrily. Lloyd sighed and retreated a few feet away, grumbling and repeatedly running his hands through her hair.

"I hope she's ok…" he murmured, glancing over to where her ax was propped against the wall in the corner. Presea had been a part of his life for some time now. It felt weird without her. Remembering the night of the party, he sighed again…

_They were out on the balcony. Alone. Finally. Well, at least Sheena seemed happy. On the contrary, Lloyd felt rather nervous, but he figured that she would do the talking and he would stand and listen, then figure out what to say. Sheena didn't seem to want to speak just yet, however. She was staring out across the forest, her face still flushed and her eyes slighted unfocused._

_"Lloyd?" her voice came, pleading, anxious, almost questioning his existence right there beside her. Sheena shifted to face him. Lloyd swallowed._

_"Yes, Sheena?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady._

_"We kissed back there…right?" Sheena asked softly, looking down at her feet. Lloyd sighed. He should have known she'd want to talk about _that

_"Yes…I never really understood the mistletoe tradition about Christmas though," Lloyd said as jokingly as he could, laughing weakly. Sheena frowned and he bit it back._

_"Lloyd, do you like me?" she asked plaintively. Lloyd felt as though he was holding his breath. He could feign innocence about this one, but he knew what she meant. He'd had this 'girl talk' before with Colette…and it had ended rather awkwardly. He'd have to be honest with her, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings._

_"Sheena, what you seek from me is not something I can give you..." he said slowly, "I like you very much as a friend. You mean a great deal to me. But not in that way. I don't want to lie to you about this, so I'm telling you up front."_

_Sheena bit her lip and nodded, smiling faintly._

_"You're too kind to people, Lloyd…" she replied, but he couldn't tell whether she was serious or not. However, Lloyd did stand on the balcony long after Sheena had left, and saw Presea and Genis sitting and talking on the bench below. His heart wrenched, though he wasn't quite sure why… _

"Hope won't help us right now, boy," grunted Yuan, still fiddling with the dials on the strange device he had set up in the middle of the room. He looked up to find Lloyd staring into space, lost in thought.

"You know…" Yuan added rather haphazardly, trying to draw the young swordsman's attention back to reality, "I think that…she might be in the Temple of Darkness. Now, I don't want to give you false hope or anything, but you need something to do to make yourself useful and you might as well check there before it closes up."

Lloyd turned sharply, "Closes up?"

Yuan's forehead creased in concentration as he squinted at the screen on his contraption, "The seals have been acting up, one by one and then _sealing_ themselves off from the inside. Currently, it is impossible to get into the seal of water, the seal of lightning, the seal of wind, or the seal of earth. I assume the others will follow. The seal of fire is already experiencing difficulties. I myself was in the seal of water when it closed. It is possible to get out, but not back in."

Lloyd folded his arms, "How long has this been going on?"

Yuan shrugged, not bothered by Lloyd's annoyance, "For a while. I've been studying it and sending the research I've collected up to Kratos on Derris Kharlan. Until recently…when the system seemed to start malfunctioning…then he became unreachable."

"The comet is probably out of range by now…" he added, cutting short Lloyd's look, "So don't get mad at me that I was in contact with your father for a while and you weren't."

The only reply was the banging of the door as Lloyd set out to search for Presea, tired of being in close quarters with Yuan during such a stressful period.

* * *

"I'm willing to bet that she is in the Temple of Darkness," Kratos added as he finished briefing Lloyd, Colette, and Genis in on Presea's state. He then looked specifically at Genis.

"Don't take it personally, she's delusional and unstable right now. That's why I need you to stay here and fill Raine and the others in. Lloyd, Colette, and I are angels, so we can all fly there at will. I want to head off Kate's team as soon as I can. This is too dangerous for them to get involved in; it was just a protective measure until I could reach you."

Genis nodded, though he didn't look thrilled with the idea of going out and telling Raine, Regal, Zelos, and Sheena instead of going to rescue Presea. Colette was looking grim, which wasn't normal for her, but Lloyd seemed relieved that Genis wouldn't be accompanying them. Kratos raised an eyebrow, but did not comment.

* * *

Zelos was unsurprised when Lloyd burst in, hands in his swords, and his eyes alight for battle. What he didn't expect, were the people that followed Lloyd. The portal had been supposed to close as soon as the swordsman passed through the gate; so how did the others get here?

Kratos walked on one side of Lloyd, Yuan on the other. And in the shadows, just beyond them was…was…Zelos. A _living _Zelos. The caped one swallowed.

_Damn merging dimensions…he's supposed to be dead! If he lives, this can complicate things a bit…_ He thought to himself.

Lloyd was also disoriented. He blinked, and then looked from Kratos to Yuan.

"Kratos? Yuan? How did you get here?" the brunette asked, puzzled. Yuan shrugged.

"I finished locating Presea right after you took off and set off myself not long after," he explained, looking over at Kratos, who gave him a questioning look.

"Yuan, where have you been? First, the core system crashes, then you vanish? Now…Presea? _What_ the _hell_ is going on here?" Kratos asked, with an accusatory glint in his eye. Zelos moved forward, ignoring the three chit-chatters, blinking in the bad light. He had thought he saw a movement in the shadows, but there was no one there now. Then, he detected soft footsteps. And they were getting louder. Everyone stopped talking abruptly.

A small light appeared moving in their direction. As it came closer, it barely illuminated a figure. It was a short figure, to be sure, and not well defined, but Lloyd recognized who it was quite quickly.

"Presea!" he called out, suddenly half-running, half-stumbling towards her. Then he jerked to a halt in surprise.

"Presea?" he asked quietly, looking at her uncertainly as she came to a stop in front of him. Presea looked from him, to the others, then back to him, her expression unmoving.

"You are to come with me," she announced coldly, looking directly at Lloyd. His sharp intake of breath made Yuan _and_ Kratos look at him funny again, but neither spoke a word.

"Presea…are you ok? What happened to you? We need to get you out of here…" Lloyd spoke quickly, looking more anxious by the minute at Presea's no responsiveness.

"You are to come with me," Presea repeated in the same voice and turned to walk away. Lloyd sighed helplessly and followed her, unwilling to let her come to harm. Behind him, Kratos and Yuan exchanged glances before going after Lloyd, and Zelos wavered for a moment before joining the group.

Lloyd tried desperately to engage Presea in conversation, but she would have none of it. In fact, she hardly spoke at all, and the look in her eyes haunted him. Something was not right about her…

When they reached the cave, to figures were there to greet them. One, Lloyd recognized as Pronyma, one of the former five desian grand cardinals. But…she was supposed to be dead! And, the fellow standing next to her looked a lot like…Zelos…no…_exactly_ like Zelos. Presea went to stand behind him and he ruffled her hair affectionately.

"Good work, Lady Presea."

Lloyd's breath caught in his throat.

_Shattered pieces of your heart  
Iwill seek until I find  
For the fault is mine in part  
That I left you behind_

_Please come back to me  
__For I miss you so  
__Though I never did say it, really  
__You mean more to me than you know_

_When you cry out I feel your pain  
__But when I reach out to you  
__You turn your back on me again  
__Only for me to my actions rue_

_Please don't die, I cannot live  
__Without you here to guide me  
__Though I have nothing to give  
__But the love that is inside me_

_If I had just one last hope  
__I'd hope that you were ok  
__Because for you forever I'd mope  
__If you were dead today_

"_Shattered"_

* * *

**The chapters are short, but it gives me more leverage on how often I post. It can be mind numbingly boring trying to add in details just to make a chapter longer… Now, things are confusing at the moment; as 'Dark' Zelos said, the dimensions are _merging_. Now there is only one Presea, one Lloyd, etc. It combines parts of the realities of both Preseas into one actual reality. Eventually, it becomes clearer what actually happened, but I guarantee that the scenes with Kratos and Yuan _did_ happen, because that is the link. Kratos is not in Presea #1's POV, and Yuan is not in Presea #2's POV. Anyway, things will straighten out over time. As for the poem at the end, it is completely my work and my work ALONE. You could probably tell, since I am not very good at poetry, but it is _my_ work and I shall remain the owner of it. Thank you for the reviews and I hope to hear more!**


	4. Dark Presea

**Just to clarify, thanks to the wonderful question from Brianna – how one second Kratos is talking to Lloyd and the next second Lloyd bursts into the cave? Well, at that point there was more than one Lloyd AND some time have passed in between. Some people didn't pick up on that; I probably should have been clearer. Anyway, on with the drama!**

* * *

Dark Presea

_"Ally-sha," the small girl said slowly stringing the word together with a vague sense of disorganization as she tried out its different sounds. The woman lying in the bed laughed and maneuvered the baby in her arms so that she could reach out to ruffle her older daughter's soft pink hair._

_"Alicia, honey, can you say that? Ah-lee-she-uh," she corrected, smiling fondly at the young child. A man walked back into the room with breakfast on a tray all made up for his wife. The girl standing by the bed turned and her face broke into a grin._

_"Daddy, daddy! Her name is Ally-sha, and she's my sister! Isn't she great?" she asked happily, tugging at her father's pant leg. Both of her parents burst out laughing and for the moment warmth and goodness seemed to tumble through the cracks in the wood and bounce all around the room._

_The older man sat down on an old rickety chair and scooped up the baby so that his wife could take the tray. Then he bent down to his older daughter's level and held out the girl in his arms. The older girl reached her small hand out hesitantly, and then poked the baby's ear. The baby began to wail, and the older child recoiled, looking anguished. Her father began to laugh very hard, shaking his whole body as he rocked the baby as best he could. Tears of mirth tricked down his face and his thick brown beard was heavily damp by the time his chuckles began to subside. _

_"Martel has blessed us with the two most wonderful daughters in the world," he said, beaming at the bemused looking girl-baby and confused looking girl-toddler. His wife nodded, grinning from ear to ear._

_"We must be the two luckiest parents in the world," she said quietly. Her older child climbed into bed with her, still looking shaken at having made her sister cry. She cleared her throat and looked up at her mother._

_"Mommy, I don't think Ally-sha likes me very much," the older child said in an alarmingly matter-of-fact way. Her mother looked faintly surprised._

_"Presea, she loves you very much. She just small and very sensitive right now and you have to handle her very carefully," she whispered, stroking the girl's hair gently. The girl seemed to ponder this, and then nodded in agreement._

_"You're right, I'll let you two handle her while I stand guard outside with Daddy's ax incase any murderers come along, ok?" she asked, cheerful again. Before either parent could react, the girl hopped off the bed and marched into the other room. There was a loud thump, and the older girl muttered darkly about the ax being too heavy. Both parents looked alarmed. Alicia started to giggle._

* * *

"Stupid, stupid Zelos!" Sheena wailed, pounding on the cave entrance with all her might. It wouldn't budge. Colette was standing to the side, looking wrought with worry, as Raine tried to calm her. Regal, with the help of some of Kate's rescue group, were preparing some food; not like anyone was in the mood to eat, however.

"At least Kratos is with them," muttered Kate to Raine, "He's dependable, that one. More ready for action then I am." Raine patted the other woman comfortingly.

"We're all distraught and high strung right now, Kate. You're not being weak," she reprimanded gently. Kate gave the other half-elf a small smile.

"I just feel like I should be doing more to help Presea. I was the one that experimented on her; I can't help feeling that I owe her more than I can pay…" she said softly, staring into space. Raine shook her head.

"Kate, you can't simply repay something like that by saving Presea, you know that, don't you? Life isn't equivalent exchange. You've regretted what you've done and apologized. Both of you, I think, need time. Time to heal. Time to forgive. Time to be forgiven. Do you understand?" asked Raine, looking at Kate with a mixture of pity and sorrow in her eyes. "Presea has lost her time. Lost _sixteen years_ of her time. To fill that gap, she will need much more than a week, or a month, or a year."

Kate nodded, looking down at her feet in a lost and helpless sort of way. Raine's expression immediately softened and she reached out to put her arms around the forlorn looking woman.

"I know, Raine, I know…" Kate turned her head to look into Raine's eyes. "I know that everyone needs time. Even though the two worlds are whole again and there is a new tree, much has been lost and destroyed. I have lived my own life in isolation; oppressed, hated, shunned by my own father… We all need time - yes, I see that. But I can't help yearning for it to be better _right now_. I wish that everything could correct itself right away instead of gradually. I want it so much."

Raine nodded and rubbed Kate's shoulders soothingly; "There are no easy solutions in this life Kate. I'm sure everyone wants it to get better now, I'm sure everyone wants nature to somehow correct itself automatically, but I think that as much as we want it, we aren't ready for it. A day will come when everyone – humans, elves, half-elves, dwarves, and the few angels left among us will live in peace and harmony and _happiness_, but it won't come before we're ready. You need to stop looking for that day, you need to stop waiting. Go, live as best you can, and then one of these years you'll suddenly notice that…it has already come."

* * *

Lloyd was so stunned that he didn't put up any kind of protest when Pronyma dragged him over the wall and chained him there. He was dimly aware of a scuffle in the background, presumably the others fighting, but the young swordsman only had eyes for Presea and her red haired companion that looked very much like Zelos. The Zelos-like man was playing with her hair, and whispering in her ear…just like they were on very friendly terms.

Presea did not look any different. She smiled slightly while the Zelos spoke to her, but her eyes were the same empty black void. Lloyd couldn't tell what she was actually thinking, whether she was controlling herself, whether is was even her that stood before him…

Kratos and Yuan were chained on either side of Lloyd, Zelos on the wall across from them. Both of the Cruxis angels struggled violently, their bodies lit up as they used their mana to wrestle the chains off, but nothing worked. Lloyd noticed none of this. Presea was turning to walk away, the Zelos look-alike's arm draped casually around her shoulder.

"Presea…" he called softly, his voice suddenly scratchy and dry, "Presea, come back, don't do this…Presea come back to m…" The Zelos figure whirled around, his dark eyes flashing angrily.

"How _dare_ you speak to her that way, Irving! Silence him, Lady _Pronyma_," he snapped coldly. Pronyma swiftly moved over to Lloyd and stuffed a gag in his mouth.

"That'll shut you up," she smirked, and turned to follow the other two out of the cave. Yuan stopped struggling, and Kratos calmed down soon after that.

"So, what do we do now?" Yuan finally asked.

Kratos muttered something under his breath, then looked helplessly back at Yuan and shook his head. Yuan sighed, and then maneuvered himself so that he could nudge Lloyd's leg with his foot. Lloyd was staring stupidly at the cave floor and did not respond. Yuan glared at him and looked questioningly at Kratos. Kratos grunted, then shrugged slightly. Both looked over at Zelos, who had somehow fallen asleep…

* * *

Genis was pacing furiously in front of the fireplace in Dirk's home, muttering worriedly to himself. He was twisting a lock of silver hair around one finger nervously, his other hand gripping his kendama firmly. Dirk looked over his shoulder from where he was washing dishes at the sink.

"Relax, boy, there's nothing you can do now. Just let Lloyd and the others sort it out," he said gruffly. Genis paused his pacing and looked at the dwarf with a pained expression on his visage.

"How, _how_ can you say that? My dear friend is out there – dying perhaps! She is suffering, and you tell be to sit here and do _nothing_! I could never…she means too much…you can't…" the young half elf struggled to find the right words. Dirk let out a long sigh.

"Very well. You Sage types are stubborn; I'll give you that. Well, you're a warlock, aren't you? I suppose it's time to try your magic, ain't it?" he mused, a twinkle appearing in his eye. A slow smile crept onto Genis's face.

"I think you're right. Thanks, Dirk," he said gratefully. Dirk rolled his eyes and went back to scrubbing dishes.

"If only to give you hope," he said to himself, staring out the window thoughtfully.

* * *

The other Zelos chewed his food in silence, Pronyma sitting to his left, and Presea across from him. Pronyma would occasionally check to see if Presea needed more of anything, but other than that, no one spoke. Finally, Zelos finished his meal and stood up. The other two followed suit. However, Presea did not follow Zelos and Pronyma out of the dining hole. Zelos turned and quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I will retire now, my Lord, though I would first like to check on the prisoners," she spoke coldly and Zelos nodded and disappeared from view. Presea stood still for a moment, lightly running her fingers over her jaw, then proceeded at a fast trot towards the room where Lloyd, Kratos, Yuan, and the real Zelos were chained.

It was only when Presea entered that Lloyd showed any sign of life. He jerked his head up as she entered, eyes widened, desperately trying to get her attention. Kratos looked relieved to see that Lloyd was functioning properly, but Yuan looked annoyed.

"Can you un-gag him?" he asked Presea sharply, even though he knew full well that the exphere on her neck made her not-herself. Surprisingly, Presea was already moving towards Lloyd. As soon as she got the gag out, he coughed and then began to plead with her.

"Presea, please, come back to us. Please fight whatever darkness has entered your mind!" he began, but she narrowed her eyes slightly and he balked at the look of cool disgust on her face.

"Maybe it would help if you kissed her," someone commented lightly. Everyone jumped. Zelos beamed at them, yawning and looking around at his surroundings not in the least bit worried.

"What?" asked Kratos irritably. Yuan gaped. Lloyd blinked. Presea paused.

"I said _maybe_ it would _help_ if you _kissed her_," Zelos repeated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Ever heard of the Frog Prince or whatever? Sleeping Beauty? Usually a kiss seems to solve things. Though sometimes there is the nasty little detail relating to true love."

Yuan spat at him. Zelos smirked and raised and eyebrow as if to say, "And what are you gonna do about it?" Kratos looked severely doubtful, but it didn't matter because Lloyd was shaking his head.

"I couldn't do that to Presea. I may care for her, but she and Genis already have something going on…even if it did make her normal, I wouldn't be able to face her." He murmured. The two seraphim on either side of him clucked sympathetically, but Zelos just shrugged.

"Well, if you won't…Presea!"

She had already walked out, however, and all Zelos got was three severe glares.

* * *

**Eh? No time for author's notes! But thank you to the reviewers, I hope you enjoyed. **


	5. Guilt and Memory

**I hate calling the second Zelos the Dark Zelos, because he's not even Zelos and it's frustrating because I can't call him anything else until his true identity is revealed. His identity is revealed in this chapter though, thank goodness. After this story is over I'll be working on a Tales Humor story featuring Kratos. I'm really looking forward to working on it, because lately all I've been writing is drama, drama, drama, which is great, but exhausting. –fewfs-**

* * *

Guilt and Memory

_"Presea, sweetie, I need you to run up to Miss Carol's house for now. Try not to lose your sister along the way, ok?" the man asked jokingly, but the five year old he was addressing could tell that he was tense. _

_"Daddy, why can't I stay and help you take care of Mommy?" the girl wailed. "I thought you said she was getting better!" The man sighed and ran one hand thrown his thinning brown hair. _

_"Presea, you have to be a big girl now for Daddy and take your sister over to Miss Carol's house and stay there. It's easier for Daddy to help Mommy if he's not worrying about you two as well," he tried to explain. Presea looked like she was on the verge of a tantrum, but she managed to swallow her anger._

_"Ok, I'll take Ally-see-uh…" she said, still looking upset. Her father smiled._

_"That's my girl," he said, relaxing a fraction as he watched his five-year-old link hands with his two year old and march up the path towards the center of the village. He waved at his older daughter as she paused to look back, and winced as he saw the fear in her eyes. Then the man turned slowly and entered his house. The house where his beloved wife…was dying…_

* * *

Genis pressed the accelerator on his rheaird, willing it to go faster as he sped toward the Temple of Darkness. The wind whistled in his ears and teared up his eyes, but the young sorcerer cared nothing for this, for Presea was in danger, and he had to save her…

The young half-elf soared down to the small walking area on the mountain in front of the cave that led into the temple. At first he thought he had gotten the wrong coordinates, because there appeared to be no cave, but he could see other people down there, so he landed anyway, jumping out of his vehicle before it came to a complete stop. Withdrawing his kendama, he jogged over to his sister's side.

"Raine! What's going on? Why aren't we going inside? Is Presea ok? It looks like the entrance is blocked. Where is the best place for me to start my barrier breaking spell?" he belted out quickly. Raine blinked.

"One thing at a time," she said slowly, giving herself time to recover from the sudden appearance from her brother. "First, we don't know. The cave shut just after Lloyd, Zelos, Yuan, and Kratos went in, and we haven't been able to follow. We do not know Presea's condition, since Yuan seemed to be the only one who was able to tell if she was even alive or not. And no, I won't allow you to set up a spell of that magnitude. You're too young!"

"I went on a dangerous journey to save two _worlds_ with you when I was _twelve_!" Genis snapped, his anger beginning to rise. "I'm _fifteen_ now, Raine! You can't mother me forever…and now, I'm going to do something on my own without your consent…because I can't let Presea die…"

Raine sighed, "I should have known you'd start rebelling at this age…fine. You can help. But there is no way you're doing this alone. You'll need some materials." She listed various powders and crystals she thought Genis would need, trying his patience to the max in his stressed out state, but he held his tongue, because she was letting him help. He would have to go to Meltokio for these…something that Genis didn't relish due to the distance. Every minute was precious to saving _her_. Without even giving his sister a word of thanks, Genis jumped back on his rheaird and sped off towards the royal city.

* * *

_Her daddy appeared in the doorway as Miss Carol opened the door to greet him. It was very late at night, but Presea was very worried about her mother and had stayed up. When she heard the knock, she peeped through the crack in the door of the room she and her younger sister were sleeping in. _

_Miss Carol looked questioningly at the man and he opened his mouth, but couldn't get the words out. Miss Carol lowered her eyes and murmured an apology. He waved it away, muttering that it wasn't her fault, his voice gruff and tight, as he struggled to control himself, damming back the emotion that threatened to overflow. _

_Presea did not like the expression on her Daddy's face, so, disregarding being caught, she threw open the door and ran stumblingly over to him. He gasped and took a step back as she fell at his feet, looking anxious._

"_Daddy, is Mommy ok now? Can we come home and see her? Ally-see-uh and I miss her. Being at Miss Carol's isn't the same! Daddy, say something! Please!" she wailed, fear rising in her chest at the look on her father's face. Miss Carol looked very distressed._

"_Presea, you should be in bed! Your Daddy isn't ready to take you home now, he…" she began, flustered, but Presea's father interrupted her._

"_You and Alicia can't see Mommy anymore," he said very softly, making Presea's heart stop. "Mommy is dead, Presea, Mommy is **dead**!" Miss Carol cried out and dove forward to catch Presea as she swayed on her small feet. Presea's father turned and ran into the darkness, unable to look at the expression on his little girl's face any longer.

* * *

_

Genis felt like he was running everywhere. First, speeding around in his rheaird, then once his feet hit the ground he was jogging as fast as he could, to the right, through the gates, towards the Imperial Research Academy…then crashing into a passer by…

"S…sorry," Genis gasped, leaping back to his feet and extending out a hand to help the older girl to her feet. "I wasn't looking where I was going…" The girl took the hand gratefully, brushing dirt off her knees and tucking her shoulder length red hair behind her face.

"It's ok," she muttered, bending over slightly and wheezing as she regained her composure. Genis looked concerned.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly. She smiled wryly and nodded.

"My health isn't the best, but don't worry, I'll be fine in a moment. You can rush on off to wherever you were going," the older girl replied, but Genis lingered.

"You sure?" he asked uncertainly. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm a magician, if it gets any worse, I can heal myself," she responded politely and he looked embarrassed.

"I really am sorry," he mumbled. "I'm a warlock myself, and my friend's in trouble and I'm in a rush to find ingredients for my spell to help her."

"Then why are you dawdling here?" the redhead asked. "Don't worry about her, go save me!" Genis blinked.

"Right," he said awkwardly and turned back towards his destination, his heart thumping hard in his chest, and not from running, he thought. "What's your name? I could contact you later, give you a better…err…apology…"

"Seles Wilder, but since the fall seems have to disoriented you more than it has me, I guess I'll tag along and see if I can help you with your spell," she said with certainty, and marched ahead of him towards the academy. _Wilder_…wait! Seles! Zelos's sister! Genis gasped and had to pause a moment to organize his thoughts before hurrying on after her.

* * *

_Presea stood by the freshly dug grave in a stiff black dress, holding Alicia's hand as the man in the front droned on with his speech. Both girls were frightened and confused, but while Alicia sobbed hysterically, calling for her mother, Presea was deadly silent, white as a ghost and unmoving as stone. Her father's tears scared her the most, but behind the fear, guilt and doubt were wearing away at the child's conscience._

"_It was my fault Mommy died…my fault…" she whispered over and over to herself, feeling herself touching dangerously close to the edge of insanity, only looking up when Miss Carol walked over and hugged her. Presea could not bring herself to say anything, only stared lifelessly into her babysitter's eyes. Miss Carol choked back a sob and walked on, like everyone else. Nobody could bear to watch the girls…so young and so confused…

* * *

_

When the Dark Zelos returned to the cave where his captives were chained, he was not alone. Pronyma followed him holding a sleeping Presea, who seemed to be writhing around in pain. Lloyd jerked at his chains.

"What have you done to her now?" he asked, worry for Presea rising strong in his chest again. The Dark Zelos narrowed his eyes.

"He's ungagged…" he said absently, but Pronyma was to busy restraining Presea to hear. "If only to cause you more pain, Irving, I'll tell you. I no longer need to manipulate Presea, so I've put her to sleep…or rather into her memories…her _nightmares_…No more sweet dreams for your beloved…" He laughed coldly, and Lloyd struggled recklessly against his bonds. Zelos looked angry for the first time since they had landed in the cave, and Kratos was looking at the Dark Zelos with an expression of pure loathing.

Yuan's eyes, however, were lidded, and his expression unreadable. He was looking down at the floor, but at the Dark Zelos's word, he slowly raised his head.

"Well, well, I wouldn't have thought you had it in you," he said emotionlessly, his mouth curving into a broken smile that didn't match his eyes. The Dark Zelos paused and looked at Yuan; scrutinizing.

"What, Yuan, the malice? Oh, I have it, never fear…" he murmured, smirking, but frowned as Yuan slowly shook his head.

"No. I wouldn't have thought you'd have the intelligence," he responded, his eyes flashing with something new. Was it defiance? Challenging? The Dark Zelos narrowed his eyes.

"You know who I am," he stated slowly. Yuan's smile widened a fraction.

"Yes," he responded, looking triumphant. "At first I couldn't see how it was possible, but it's become increasingly evident…" The Dark Zelos took a step forward."Too bad you can't do anything about it," he said, smirk returning. Yuan shook his head again.

"Oh, but I can," Yuan replied, snearing. "Mithos…"

* * *

**Ahhh! This was really short! I'm sorry, but I had to limit myself with certain scenes, so this chapter had it's limits, so the length was shorter than desired, but I promise…err…I hope…that the next one with be more satisfactory.**


	6. Mithos's Shadow

**Oh yay! Another chappie! The last one only got one review. –makes a face- It was a little disheartening, but I pulled through. Sorry for taking so long to update, and, though this was originally going to be the second to last chapter, it ended up with less meat, so I combined the two, making this the final chappie.**

**Special Note: I am soooooo embarrassed. In the last chapter I had Seles say, "Don't worry about her, save me." I meant it the other way around. Or, her head was scrambled. Whichever you like better.**

* * *

Mithos's Shadow

"_Goodbye my shadow. You who go down the road I choose not to follow."_

"Congratulations Yuan," the man drawled carelessly. "You figured me out." He reached one hand up and lightly touched the black Cruxis Crystal on his throat. Then, the "other" Zelos's features began to change. His hair became smoother and began to lighten, and his shoulders straightened, making him look taller (AN: couldn't resist – it always looks like Zelos is hunching over). In a few bare moments, the older version of Mithos was standing before the captives.

"So, what do you intend to do now?" Mithos asked softly. "Tell the others my evil plan? Reveal the truth? Go ahead! It will do you no good." Yuan closed his eyes and was silent for a moment before opening them.

"I will tell them," he said slowly. "If only so that that poor girl you've ensnared to be Pronyma can hear what she's dived into. Or is she another one of your dolls?"

Mithos chuckled. "She is nothing more than a doll, Yuan, now get on with your speech, I want to know how much you've managed to figure out."

"You are Mithos, somehow returned from the dead. You rigged up this whole game – fiddling with our memories and making us believe that there were all separate dimensions we were part of to hide what was really going on. You would have us believe that Presea – that all of us are made up of _would have beens_, people who would have turned out a certain way if such and such had happened. But you are a fool, for there is nothing that would have happened for certain. The future is fluid and always changing. We know that things _could_ have happened, but we do not know if they _would _have.

"You chose Presea as your tool for two reasons: she is the one in the group who has always felt apart from the others and alone. You also chose her because she is the most important girl to Lloyd, as he took away the girl that was most important to you. You are as immature as always, brother of Martel," he finished coldly. Mithos's eyes glinted.

"Well, you are a sly devil, Yuan, but you aren't quite right…" he murmured, smiling.

* * *

"Okay, these should be all the ingredients. Now, let's hurry back to the cave you told me about and start our spell!" Seles said, stuffing the materials Genis had purchased into a knapsack. Genis looked at her bemusedly.

"What?" Seles asked sharply. "If you're not going to say anything, then come on! We've got to hurry and help your friend!"

She marched ahead with Genis trailing behind, as he tried to remember how to speak again. The two boarded Genis's rheaird and made straight for the Temple of Darkness. Upon landing, Seles sprang gracefully out of the machine and hurried over to Raine.

"Tell your people to clear out of the central area here, we need to set up a spell, and quickly!" she commanded. Raine raised her eyebrow at Genis and mouthed 'Seles?', but did as she was instructed.

Seles emptied out the knapsack and Genis stepped forward to sort the ingredients out. "Ok, we need to burn these to herbs…no wait, we'd better draw a spell circle first. Do you know fire spells?"

"The most _basic_ magician knows them. Of course I do," Seles snapped. "Ok, what do you want me to burn?"

Genis finished drawing the circle. "I don't want you to _burn_ anything. Just step inside the circle. If we combine the spells, it'll be more powerful. Though, with a barrier of this much power I don't know how effective it'll be."

Seles shrugged. "We just have to try."

* * *

"Not quite right?" Yuan asked coolly. "How so?"

Mithos smirked. "I am the one who never died. I am Mithos's Shadow; his would have been, and no I will _not_ argue the philosophy with you between _would_ and _could_. Presea was so easy to manipulate; she's more fragile than I could have hoped…But enough chatter, it's time I killed you all. You've been such wonderful guests that I wouldn't send you off without a grand farewell, however. Lady _Pronyma_, or should I say "Pronyma's Shadow"? Well, anyway, waken Presea. Now, who shall she kill first?"

"Damnit, Mithos, you can't make her kill for you!" Lloyd yelled, throwing himself forward. His chains trembled. Kratos's jaw clenched and Yuan glared at the blond seraphim. Zelos yawned.

"I don't think you're going to be killing anyone, let alone have Presea kill anyone, Mithos," he said casually, making everyone look at him again. Mithos laughed harshly.

"What makes you think that?" he asked in a soft, deadly tone.

Zelos shrugged. "Well I just heard my Violent Demonic Banshee yell…"

* * *

"Disciple of Everlasting Ice, I summon thee. Come, Celsius!" Sheena intoned, as Raine raised her staff.

"Ok, everyone, focus your power on the barrier!" Genis yelled, "Remember, Sheena, you are ice, Seles is fire, Raine is light, and I'm water. Ready? Spread!"

"Raging Mist!"

"Ray!"

"T Seal: Ice!"

"It's over!" Celsius cried as she and Sheena hid the barrier at the same time directly after the spells had been cast. The barrier shuddered and then exploded with a bang. The group rushed in headlong, Seles grabbing Genis's arm for support. Genis blushed…

At the same moment of the explosion, something else began to happen – several something else, in fact. First, both Mithos's and Presea's expheres flashed a brilliant white and then shattered. In the center of the cave, a light appeared, and Presea's eyes snapped open just as Martel finished materializing before them.

Footsteps were heard clamoring down through the tunnels and Raine, Sheena, Kate, Genis, Seles, and the entire group burst into the cave room. Raine stopped short at the sight before her, causing Sheena to crash into her and send them both tumbling down. Seles nimbly hopped over them, followed by Genis.

"Martel!" gasped Mithos.

"Presea!" gasped Lloyd.

"Seles!" Zelos exclaimed, completely losing his cool. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Saving your ass, you ungrateful older brother," Seles snapped, sending a fireball his way to free him from his chains, none to gently. "And everyone else's, it seems. Genis told me we were only saving Presea, but of course it would be typical of you to get tangled up in this anyway."

"Silence!" Mithos cried furiously, and everyone froze. "This wasn't supposed to happen! I will…" He suddenly choked and could speak no more. The Martel in front of him – not his sister but the one that now guarded the new tree – was looking at him with a sad expression.

"That's enough," she said firmly, her soft voice magnified tenfold in the close area. "You have already passed away; your time has already been spent. No more of this. Be at peace…"

The woman who had once been Martel reached out her hand towards the man who had once been Mithos and the doll representing Pronyma, smiling sadly. She brushed her fingers acrosstheir foreheads and light engulfed all three, soon fading until they were gone.

It was silent for a very long time. Finally, Zelos managed to regain his humor. "I hope you're not getting attached to Genis, Seles…"

* * *

Lloyd ignored all the commotion. Once he was free, he went straight to Presea, who was sitting on the floor shivering, with tears running down her cheeks. Scooping her up, he unfurled his angel wings and flew out above everyone's heads, out of the cursed cave and into the cool evening air.

Presea closed her eyes briefly and then opened them, looking in wonder at the ground falling away beneath them. She could not bear to break the silence now, at the awkward point things stood, though it seemed that Lloyd was content to be silent for the moment. So, she would too. It was enough just to have an end to the nightmares, both waking and otherwise.

After a while, Lloyd spoke. "How are you feeling?" Presea had to smile and raise her eyebrow at him, making him chuckle.

"Oh, right, I shouldn't have even asked," he replied in a light tone, though his expression grew serious. "I'm sorry about everything that happened to you. It was a terrible ordeal for all of us, but it must have been for you especially."

Presea nodded. "I felt empty. Or broken. Or both. Every time I thought it couldn't hurt more, every time I thought I was numb to the pain, it bested me. These feelings of helplessness…of hopelessness are so overwhelming."

"It's ok now," Lloyd said softly, holding her closer to him as they flew. "You are surrounded by friends who will help you face your fears…and I'm guessing your past, if you want them. We're here for you, Presea. I want you to know that you don't have to go through this alone anymore."

Presea sighed. "It is hard for me to trust, to care now. I…I feel guilty, and scared…I'm afraid that if I trust people again that I'll only end up losing them."

"If you never hold out your hand, then you'll never find out if there is someone who would hold it," Lloyd murmured. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise you. Please…trust me."

Presea was quiet for a moment, and then very slowly reached out her hand. Lloyd gave her a huge smile and took it with the hand that wasn't supporting her. Presea stared at their interlocked fingers, and a slow, timid smile spread across her face. The two flew onwards for a while, each absorbed in their own thoughts and no longer caring whether there were actually dimensions or about things that would have been…only things that were _now_.

"Sheena kissed you," Presea said suddenly.

"Huh?" Lloyd started, blinking in surprise.

"At the gathering…for Christmas. Under the mistletoe?" she offered helpfully. Lloyd blushed, making her frown.

"Yeah, that was…a big shock," he mumbled. "It was really awkward, though. I had talked to her later, and…I think I hurt her feelings. I mean, I didn't mean to, but I can't lie to her like that. Sheena is my friend, just like everyone else in our group, and I owe it to her to be honest."

"When you two kissed, it make me feel very sad inside," Presea admitted. "There was a pain in my chest. I should not feel bad, for you are my friends…but I did."

Lloyd's breath caught in his throat, and for a moment he stared at her in disbelief. _Could it be? No…_ "You went outside early on and when I saw you talking with Genis I felt bad, too."

"Lloyd…" Presea paused. "Do you like anyone?"

Lloyd looked at her with a thoughtful expression, making her heart skip a beat. "If I say yes…what will happen? I think that I…like you, but if you don't like…"

"I think I like you as well," Presea whispered, not meeting Lloyd's eyes.

"Umm…Presea?" Lloyd began slowly, blushing again.

"Yes, Lloyd?" Presea replied, peeking up at him.

"May I…uh…I mean…" he stumbled. She looked at him in askance.

"MayIkissyou?" the young swordsman asked in a rush. Presea blushed crimson at the question.

"Y-yes," she stuttered, blushing even worse.

Lloyd awkwardly bent forward and hesitated, blushing as red as Presea. Then he smiled and quickly bent the rest of the way and kissed her lightly. When he pulled away, he saw that she was looking downwards towards the ground.

"We're almost home," Presea said softly.

"Home?" Lloyd repeated, thinking of Ozette and the accompanying lands of Tethe'alla. Surely Presea didn't think of Iselia, of Dirk's house, _his_ home, as hers?

"Yes, home."

The End

* * *

**Ahhhh! Crapola ending! –cringe- But, still, for a certain person's benefit, who complained of Lloyd not kissing Presea, that moment – was for you. –wink- I think that there are many things that can be, or could have been, but in the end, do we really know what will be, or would have been? This _might_ have happened in the ToS verse, but there are so many other possibilities. I think it kind of relates to life as well, you know? Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed the fic!**


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